Darogan Talent

Darogan is an online platform that connects Wales’ leading employers and leaders with Welsh students and graduates that want to look for graduate opportunities in the country. Having secured a partnership with a leading recruiting firm in South Wales, a new Darogan website and strategic offering will be on show in September 2019.

The Issue

The critical fact is that a significant number of Wales’ most promising students are leaving Wales to seek employment. According to a recent statistic from the BBC, 23,807 graduates came to Wales between 2013 and 2016, but 44,335 left the country. Consequently, this means that Wales lost 20,528 graduates in three years. So, Darogan is a new venture that is my answer to the matter. I established the initiative with my former peer in Oxford, Owain James, and we work online and through events to make sure we can reach students across Wales and beyond.

Owain and I set up Darogan in November 2018.

The Name

The name ‘Darogan’ itself reflects the ethos of the new initiative. It refers to the ‘Mab Darogan’ (The Son of Destiny) in ancient Welsh mythology. The old Welsh bards prophesied that this messianic figure would return one day, after a long period of slumber, perhaps, or a journey to a foreign land, in order to redeem the nation. But now, in the twenty-first century, we need more than just one figure to return to Wales: we need thousands. If we do not ensure we bring our brightest back to Wales, there is little hope for the development of our economy and industry.

The Future

Darogan has so far captured the imagination of the political and business community in Wales, and we are launching a kind-of LinkedIn/Jobs board/social network all mashed in one in September.

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